Mum's Fruit Loaf

03 November 2007

A few of you mentioned comfort food when we were talking about Autumn. Well, this is the ultimate comfort food for me, my mum's fruit loaf! It is a double whammy, first you have the smell of spices drifting around the house and then out comes a gorgeous cake filled with fruit and tasting of cinnamon and ginger. Mmmmm!

Add the butter, water, sultanas, sugar and spice to a pan and bring to the boil. Set aside to cool.

Once cool add the flour, baking soda and egg and mix well.

Pour into a prepared loaf tin (I buy greaseproof inserts for mine) and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Insert a skewer, if it comes out clean, it is ready.

The first bite is the best. Still warm and smothered with butter!

My mum has made this loaf for as long as I can remember. She has the recipe scribbled into the margin of a cookbook, under the title: Australian Fruit Loaf. Her favourite cook books are filled with newspaper and magazine cuttings and with notes and recipes scribbled in with a pencil. I am not bold enough to write on the pages of a cookbook. I don't know if this is a healthy respect for books or if I am just not brave enough to put my thoughts into them!

Wendy over at A Wee Bit of Cooking made my mum's loaf for a cake stall at the Highland Games in June, but I am sure she won't mind if I share it again!

ps Wendy, I had some of your Membrillo Paste on oatcakes with cheese last night and it was gorgeous! I especially liked it with white stilton with apricots, it worked really well!

Dear holler. Delish! I just love fruit (and fruit and nut) loaf. My mum used to buy (well, she probably still does) a delicious one from the farmer's markets in Brisbane, Australia where she lives. She also makes a really nice one. Oh I'm blathering. But out of interest, I wonder why your mum called the recipe Australian fruit loaf? Oh and I'm terribly guilty of writing in cookbooks, but I usually do it in pencil!

Cor, that looks fantastic. My mum has a recipe that's very similar and I always associate the wonderful smell of it cooking with spending time in the kitchen with her as a kid. Comfort food par excellence.

This really sounds comforting, especially with the butter! I love the pretty plate you served it on. Ya know, my mom was the same with writing down recipes. I have her collection of magazine clips, newspaper articles and her cigar box full of recipes on pieces of scrap paper. My grandmother did the same thing. I cherish all of these pieces of paper! They did not have very many cookbooks, just the scraps of paper. But I made up for that with my collection of books. But like you I cannot write in them!

well its 2010 and I have just made your loaf in New Zealand. (with the extra addition of glaced cherries) Smells good. Hopefully tastes good too. Its cracked on top but I think thats pretty normal for a loaf.

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x